It is a dramatic appeal by the Ukrainian admiral to Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin (66), to release his soldiers.

The commander of the Ukrainian naval forces, Igor Voronchenko, wants to go to a Russian prison in place of his sailors – if Putin, in return, releases his men.

Voronchenko told BILD in the navy headquarters in Odessa: “It breaks my heart when I see my soldiers being illegally detained by Russia. I would be willing to go to prison in their place if Putin were to release my 24 men in return.”

Ten days ago, the Ukrainian soldiers were attacked by Russian forces in the Kerch Strait and subsequently arrested. Recently, they were publicly showcased and are now awaiting a trial. EU heads of government are demanding the immediate release of the Ukrainian soldiers – however, so far, they have been unsuccessful.

Voronchenko was stationed on Crimea as an admiral in 2014 when the peninsula was annexed by Russia. Back then, Voronchenko had already been held by the Russian army for several days, because he did not want to defect to the Russians.

While Voronchenko is offering himself for an exchange, the mothers of the captured Ukrainian soldiers have started an initiative and want to write a letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel asking her for help.

The admiral from Odessa also sees Merkel as a supporter. He told BILD: “I am grateful for what Merkel has already done for us. If there is a possibility now and Putin is willing, I’m immediately ready for an exchange and to go to a Russian prison.”

The reactions to the Russian attack against Ukrainian soldiers on the Sea of Azov show that there are still some in Europe who do no...

The admiral thinks that Putin wants to “permanently destabilize” Ukraine: “In 2014, they did not get what Putin actually wanted. This means that providing supplies for Crimea is difficult. Putin will keep trying to hit the nearby regions. This can happen anytime, entirely unexpectedly.”

The head of the naval forces does not think that NATO vessels – that the Ukrainian president is asking for – would be able to help in the Sea of Azov.

“There is the 2003 agreement that any navy vessel from a third country wanting to enter the Sea of Azov requires permission from Ukraine as well as Russia. This means: even if Ukraine wanted this, Russia would not allow it. I think that, by contrast, it would make much more sense to have an increased NATO presence in the Black Sea.”